the Embryo and Seedling in the Gramineae. 
209 
Zingiberaceae. 
Seedlings in spirit belonging to three genera from this family were sent 
from Kew in 1898 to one of us : Elettaria Cardamomum , Maton, Amomum 
angustifolium , Sonner, and Renealmia racemosa , A. Rich. Preparations 
from these species were made by Miss E. N. Thomas in the Reigate 
laboratory, and she also worked out the course of the bundles in the upper 
sheath, which is uniform in all three. Our thanks are due to her for per¬ 
mission to use her preparations and notes, including some drawings of the 
seedlings. We have since confirmed and extended her observations by 
cutting fresh seedlings of Elettaria , and also by examining Roscoeapurpurea , 
Sm., Alpinia calcarata, Rose., and Brachychilum Horsfieldii , O. G. Petersen. 
These seedlings we grew in a hothouse at Reigate, from seeds most kindly 
supplied by Mr. Lynch from the Botanic Garden at Cambridge. Thus we 
were able to examine and draw them in the fresh condition, besides pickling 
the important parts, the sheath and hypocotyl, in Merkel’s solution. Material 
so treated gives far better results when microtomed than that preserved in 
spirit only. 
Elettaria Cardamomum , Maton. The course of the bundles in the 
cotyledon is very characteristic. Text-fig. 30 (I), p. 210, is a drawing of stalk 
and sheath from spirit material examined under the simple microscope. The 
course of the bundles in the sheath can be quite well followed by this 
method, and they are traced in the drawing. It will be seen at once that 
part of the sheath is above the insertion of the stalk, and part below it. 
The stalk of the cotyledon contains two exarch collateral bundles, 
both of which enter the sheath. Their course within it is asymmetrical, 
for one bundle (P) travels nearly to the top of the sheath before turning 
downwards, while the other (P f ) turns down at once. We possess a com¬ 
plete series downwards, from the top of the same sheath which is drawn 
in I (Text-fig. 30), and can therefore reconstruct its vascular skeleton with 
certainty. The critical sections (II-V in Text-fig. 30) occur at the levels 
a-d in I. 
Sections cut between the levels a and (3 pass through bundle P twice ; 
once in its upward, and once in its downward course. Near a the two 
sections of this bundle lie close together, while lower down they move apart 
until they are separated by an angle of about 90°. Just below /3, the 
bundle P' comes in, and in the following sections P and P' are each cut 
twice: once in the sheath, and once in the stalk. From 5 onwards the stalk 
has disappeared, and then the two sheath-sections only of P and P' remain 
(V, Text-fig. 30). 
Elettaria possesses a real hypocotyl; a region of appreciable length 
below the first node, in which the stele is stem-like. The hypocotyl varies 
p 
